Kuem Hee Jang

Complete mitochondrial genome of Bugula neritina (Bryozoa, Gymnolaemata, Cheilostomata): phylogenetic position of Bryozoa and phylogeny of lophophorates within the Lophotrochozoa

BackgroundThe phylogenetic position of Bryozoa is one of the most controversial issues in metazoan phylogeny. In an attempt to address this issue, the first bryozoan mitochondrial genome from Flustrellidra hispida (Gymnolaemata, Ctenostomata) was recently sequenced and characterized. Unfortunately, it has extensive gene translocation and extremely reduced size. In addition, the phylogenies obtained from the result were conflicting, so they failed to assign a reliable phylogenetic position to Bryozoa or to clarify lophophorate phylogeny. Thus, it is necessary to characterize further mitochondrial genomes from slowly-evolving bryozoans to obtain a more credible lophophorate phylogeny.ResultsThe complete mitochondrial genome (15,433 bp) of Bugula neritina (Bryozoa, Gymnolaemata, Cheilostomata), one of the most widely distributed cheliostome bryozoans, is sequenced. This second bryozoan mitochondrial genome contains the set of 37 components generally observed in other metazoans, differing from that of F. hispida (Bryozoa, Gymnolaemata, Ctenostomata), which has only 36 components with loss of tRNAser(ucn) genes. The B. neritina mitochondrial genome possesses 27 multiple noncoding regions. The gene order is more similar to those of the two remaining lophophorate phyla (Brachiopoda and Phoronida) and a chiton Katharina tunicate than to that of F. hispida. Phylogenetic analyses based on the nucleotide sequences or amino acid residues of 12 protein-coding genes showed consistently that, within the Lophotrochozoa, the monophyly of the bryozoan class Gymnolaemata (B. neritina and F. hispida) was strongly supported and the bryozoan clade was grouped with brachiopods. Echiura appeared as a subtaxon of Annelida, and Entoprocta as a sister taxon of Phoronida. The clade of Bryozoa + Brachiopoda was clustered with either the clade of Annelida-Echiura or that of Phoronida + Entoprocta.ConclusionThis study presents the complete mitochondrial genome of a cheliostome bryozoan, B. neritina. The phylogenetic analyses suggest a close relationship between Bryozoa and Brachiopoda within the Lophotrochozoa. However, the sister group of Bryozoa + Brachiopoda is still ambiguous, although it has some attractions with Annelida-Echiura or Phoronida + Entoprocta. If the latter is a true phylogeny, lophophorate monophyly including Entoprocta is supported. Consequently, the present results imply that Brachiozoa (= Brachiopoda + Phoronida) and the recently-resurrected Bryozoa concept comprising Ectoprocta and Entoprocta may be refuted.

Mitochondrial genome phylogeny among Asiatic black bear Ursus thibetanus subspecies and comprehensive analysis of their control regions

The complete mitochondrial genome (16,824 bp) of an Asiatic black bear Ursus thibetanus ussuricus (Mammalia, Carnivora, Ursidae) was newly sequenced and characterized in detail. It is the second mitochondrial genome from this subspecies which has been completely sequenced. The two U. t. ussuricus individuals were compared with each other and then with individuals from the other four U. thibetanus subspecies and the other nine ursid species, focusing especially on the control regions in the 14 mitochondrial genomes. Within these control regions, tandem repeats of basically 10 bp (5′-ACGCACGTGT-3′ or its derivatives) were found in Domain II. Plausible secondary structures of the repeat region were compared between the North and South Korean individuals of U. t. ussuricus. According to the maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference trees inferred from the nucleotide sequences of 13 protein-coding and two rRNA genes, the ursine members within the monophyletic ursid clade can be divided into at least three groups: A, B, and C. According to this analysis, U. thibetanus subspecies were found with Ursus americanus and Ursus malayanus within Group A, showing the following relationships with nodal bootstrap values above 91% and Bayesian posterior probabilities of 1.00: ([(U. t. thibetanus, U. t. formosanus), U. t. spp.], U. t. ussuricus), U. t. mupinensis. In addition, we present a hypothetical scenario of the evolution of the major repeat motifs in the control region.

Complete mitochondrial genome of the Hodgson's bat Myotis formosus (Mammalia, Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae)

The first complete mitochondrial genome (17,159 bp) of the Hodgsons bat Myotis formosus, which is an endangered species in South Korea, was sequenced and characterized. The genome included 13 protein-coding, 22 tRNA, and 2 rRNA genes, and 1 control region. It has high AT content and the same gene arrangement pattern as those of typical vertebrate mitochondrial genome. Within the control region, a 80 bp tandem repeat unit was iterated five times which was found in Domain I. It has been observed only in the vespertilionid bat group, and could contribute to identifying the species or genus, and also distinguishing it from other bat families.

Complete mitochondrial genome of the black-headed snake Sibynophis collaris (Squamata, Serpentes, Colubridae)

The black-headed snake Sibynophis collaris (Reptilia, Squamata, Colubridae) is a least concern species in the world. Two universal and two specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers were used for long PCRs to amplify the whole mitochondrial genome of S. collaris. The products were subjected to do sequencing reactions. The complete genome is 17,163 bp in size, containing 37 genes coding for 13 proteins, 2 rRNAs, 22 tRNAs, and 2 control regions (CRI and CRII). The results could play an important role in the preservation of genetic resources for helping conservation of the endangered species.

Mitochondrial genome of the Korean colubrid snake Elaphe schrenckii (Reptilia; Squamata; Colubridae)

In the present study, we determined the complete mitochondrial genome of a colubrid snake from Korea, Elaphe schrenckii (Reptilia, Squamata, Colubridae). Six universal primer pairs suggested by Kumazawa and Endo (2004) were used for long polymerase chain reactions. All methods were carried out following standard laboratory procedures (Woo et al. 2007). The complete mitochondrial genome (17,164 bp in length) consists of 13 protein-coding, 22 tRNA, and 2 rRNA genes, 2 identical, large control regions (CR1 and CR2), and a small CR (OL; Table I). Except for the seven tRNA genes and Nd6, all other mitochondrial genes are encoded on the heavy strand. The overall base composition of the heavy strand is 35.21% A, 25.93% T, 26.33% C, and 12.53% G, with an AT content of 61.14%. The AT content was higher than the GC content, as generally shown in other vertebrate mitochondrial genomes (Lee et al. 2008). All 21 tRNA genes can fold into a typical cloverleaf secondary structure except for tRNA, which lacks a dihydrouridine arm (D-arm). A pseudotRNA exists in the 50-upstream region of CR1 that can be folded into a potentially imperfect tRNA having a distinct anticodon arm and a D-arm with four base pairings, but lacks a TCC. The 12S and 16S rRNA genes are located between tRNA and tRNA (926 bp), and between tRNA and Nd1 (1483 bp), respectively. Except for Nd2 (ATA start codon) and Cox1 and Nd4 l (GTG start codon), the remaining protein-coding genes initiate with ATG. Five genes end with an incomplete stop codon T__ (Nd1, Cox2, Cox3, Nd3, and Cytb) that may be completed by polyadenylation after transcript processing (Ojala et al. 1981). As observed in the mitochondrial genomes of other snake taxa—such as the viperids himehabu (Trimeresurus okinavensis), the western rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus), the colubrid akamata (Dinodon semicarinatus), and the boid boa constrictor—that of the Korean E. schrenckii has loci CR1 and CR2 (1017 bp in length, high AT content of 60.7%) surrounded by tRNA and tRNA, and by tRNA and tRNA, respectively. CR1 and CR2 have putative terminationassociated sequences (TASs) and conserved sequence blocks (CSBs) in common. TASs exhibit a conserved motif that can form a stable hairpin-loop structure for the regulation of mitochondrial gene replication (Saccone et al. 2002). Each CR contains TAS1 and TAS2, and three CSBs (CSB1, CSB2, and CSB3), which are thought to be involved in positioning RNA polymerase for both transcription and priming replication (Clayton 1991; Shadel and Clayton 1997). E. schrenckii is categorized as an endangered species in Korea. We expect the present study will contribute to the preservation of endangered species’ genetic resources and will assist species identification and research in colubroid systematics.

Mitochondrial genome of the eurasian otterLutra lutra (Mammalia, Carnivora, Mustelidae)

We determined the complete mitochondrial genome of the Eurasian otterLutra lutra, which is an endangered species in Korea. The circle genome (16,536 bp in size) consists of 13 protein-coding, 22 tRNA, and 2 rRNA genes, and a control region, as found in other metazoan animals. Out of the 37 genes, 28 are encoded on the H-strand, and the nine (ND6 and 8 tRNA genes) on the L-strand. Three overlaps among the 13 protein-coding genes were found: ATP8-ATP6, ND4L-ND4, and ND5-ND6. A control region (1090 bp) including the origin of H-strand replication (OH), TAS (a conserved motif TACAT-16bp-ATGTA) and CSB (CSB-1, CSB-2. and CSB-3) was observed between tRNA-Pro and tRNA-Phe genes, and OL, with 36 highly conserved nucleotides between tRNA-Asn (N) and tRNA-Cys (C) within a cluster of five tRNA genes (WANCY), as typically found in vertebrates. The other important characteristics of theL. lutra mitochondrial genome were described in detail. In addition, a maximum likelihood and Bayesian trees of 9 mustelid species and 1 outgroup were reconstructed based on the nucleotide sequences of 11 protein-coding genes excluding ATP8 and ND6. It showed that Lutrinae formed a monophyletic group with Mustelinae that is not monophyletic. Within the subfamily Lutrinae,L. lutra andEnhydra lutris were grouped together and thenLontra canadentis placed as a sister of the clade. The present result is the first complete mitochondrial genome sequence reported from the genusLutra, and is applicable to molecular phylogenetic, phylogeographic, conservation biological studies for mustelid members. In particular, exploration of sequence variations of the control region may be helpful for analyzing inter-and intra-species variations in the genusLutra.

Complete Mitochondrial Genomes of Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda and Tachypleus tridentatus (Xiphosura, Arthropoda) and Implications for Chelicerate Phylogenetic Studies

Horseshoe crabs (order Xiphosura) are often referred to as an ancient order of marine chelicerates and have been considered as keystone taxa for the understanding of chelicerate evolution. However, the mitochondrial genome of this order is only available from a single species, Limulus polyphemus. In the present study, we analyzed the complete mitochondrial genomes from two Asian horseshoe crabs, Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda and Tachypleus tridentatus to offer novel data for the evolutionary relationship within Xiphosura and their position in the chelicerate phylogeny. The mitochondrial genomes of C. rotundicauda (15,033 bp) and T. tridentatus (15,006 bp) encode 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, and 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes. Overall sequences and genome structure of two Asian species were highly similar to that of Limulus polyphemus, though clear differences among three were found in the stem-loop structure of the putative control region. In the phylogenetic analysis with complete mitochondrial genomes of 43 chelicerate species, C. rotundicauda and T. tridentatus were recovered as a monophyly, while L. polyphemus solely formed an independent clade. Xiphosuran species were placed at the basal root of the tree, and major other chelicerate taxa were clustered in a single monophyly, clearly confirming that horseshoe crabs composed an ancestral taxon among chelicerates. By contrast, the phylogenetic tree without the information of Asian horseshoe crabs did not support monophyletic clustering of other chelicerates. In conclusion, our analyses may provide more robust and reliable perspective on the study of evolutionary history for chelicerates than earlier analyses with a single Atlantic species.

Complete mitochondrial genome of the Korean spotted seal Phoca largha (Mammalia, Pinnipedia, Phocidae): Genetic differences between P. largha and Phoca vitulina

The spotted seal Phoca largha is an endangered marine mammal whose range covers wide regions of the continental shelves of the North Pacific and Arctic Oceans (Shaughnessy and Fay 1977; Mizuno et al. 2003). Very little is known about the genetic diversity of the species, with only a single complete mitochondrial genome from an Alaskan individual so far available (Arnason et al. 2006). Here, we report the complete mitochondrial genome (16,728 bp; GenBank accession number FJ895151) of a Korean specimen of P. largha sampled at the exact opposite end of Alaska within the distribution area of this species. This mitochondrial genome, slightly longer than the Alaskan individual’s one (16,701 bp; Arnason et al. 2006; AM181031), exhibits the classic features of mammalian mitochondrial genomes (Figure 1a; Lee et al. 2008). The nucleotide sequence similarity between large control regions (OH, 1200–1300 bp) of the Korean P. largha (KPL) and Alaskan P. largha (APL) is 92.4%. Except for OH, Nd5 exhibits 99% similarity and is the most variable among 13 protein-coding and two rRNAcoding genes between the two species. In the remaining genes, nucleotide similarity ranges from 99.4% (Atp6) to 99.9% (12S rDNA). Similarly, comparison of mitochondrial genomes of an Icelandic individual (IPV; X63726) and a Baltic individual of a closely related species, the harbor seal Phoca vitulina (BPV; AM181032), showed that OH (92.9%) and Nd5 (99.5%) have the lowest levels of similarity, as in P. largha. The OH of KPL is not identical to any one of 57 haplotypes of P. largha reported from Mizuno et al. (2003). Within the OH, the lengths of the repeat regions of KPL, APL, IPV, and BPV are 156, 143, 199, and 163 bp, respectively. The similarity between the repeat regions of KPL and APL is 62.7% and that of IPV and BPV is 66.8%. As shown in Figure 1b, the ACGC and GC repeat motifs are more abundant in KPL (19 occurrences) than in APL (three occurrences), IPV (nine occurrences), and BPV (nine occurrences). In APL, the AC-rich motif consisting of AC plus ACGTAC appears repetitively (up to 19 times), which is not found in KPL. According to Stanley et al. (1996), IPV and BPV belong to the east Atlantic populations that are very closely related each to other. Nevertheless, we were able to distinguish them by examining OH variation. A variety of characteristics such as sequence diversity, repeat motifs, and repeat patterns of OH (potentially also Nd5) may be helpful to distinguish individuals of P. largha and P. vitulina.

Complete mitochondrial genome of the Korean stumpy bullhead Pseudobagrus brevicorpus (Siluriformes, Bagridae)

We describe the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the Korean stumpy bullhead Pseudobagrus brevicorpus, which is an endangered species in Korea. The circle genome (16,526 bp) consists of 13 protein coding, 22 tRNA, 2 rRNA genes and 1 control region. It has the typical vertebrate mitochondrial gene arrangement.

DNA Barcoding of Metazoan Zooplankton Copepods from South Korea.

Copepods, small aquatic crustaceans, are the most abundant metazoan zooplankton and outnumber every other group of multicellular animals on earth. In spite of ecological and biological importance in aquatic environment, their morphological plasticity, originated from their various lifestyles and their incomparable capacity to adapt to a variety of environments, has made the identification of species challenging, even for expert taxonomists. Molecular approaches to species identification have allowed rapid detection, discrimination, and identification of cryptic or sibling species based on DNA sequence data. We examined sequence variation of a partial mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase I gene (COI) from 133 copepod individuals collected from the Korean Peninsula, in order to identify and discriminate 94 copepod species covering six copepod orders of Calanoida, Cyclopoida, Harpacticoida, Monstrilloida, Poecilostomatoida and Siphonostomatoida. The results showed that there exists a clear gap with ca. 20 fold difference between the averages of within-specific sequence divergence (2.42%) and that of between-specific sequence divergence (42.79%) in COI, suggesting the plausible utility of this gene in delimitating copepod species. The results showed, with the COI barcoding data among 94 copepod species, that a copepod species could be distinguished from the others very clearly, only with four exceptions as followings: Mesocyclops dissimilis–Mesocyclops pehpeiensis (0.26% K2P distance in percent) and Oithona davisae–Oithona similis (1.1%) in Cyclopoida, Ostrincola japonica–Pseudomyicola spinosus (1.5%) in Poecilostomatoida, and Hatschekia japonica–Caligus quadratus (5.2%) in Siphonostomatoida. Thus, it strongly indicated that COI may be a useful tool in identifying various copepod species and make an initial progress toward the construction of a comprehensive DNA barcode database for copepods inhabiting the Korean Peninsula.